Grading Panthers' loss to Seahawks

Sunday

Sep 8, 2013 at 12:01 AMSep 8, 2013 at 10:49 PM

Richard Walker

RUN OFFENSE: DeAngelo Williams (16 carries, 76 yards), Cam Newton (five for 38) and Mike Tolbert (four for 10) had acceptable days, especially when you consider the two starting guards were out for most if not all of the game. But Williams was stopped on third-and-one when the team led 7-3 in the third quarter and his late fumble ended Carolina’s last offensive drive. Grade: C

PASS OFFENSE: Cam Newton’s numbers look mediocre — 16 of 23 for 125 yards and one touchdown — but he was sacked only once and two drops by Greg Olsen could’ve given the Panthers an early offensive spark. Still, Newton admitted he missed Steve Smith on a play that could’ve been huge and only eight of the 16 completions resulted in first downs. Grade: C

RUN DEFENSE: Holding Marshawn Lynch to 43 yards in 17 carries — a 2.5 average — was remarkable. It was equally impressive to limit Seattle to 70 total yards rushing. Yet, Seattle was able to convert a first down on Lynch’s longest gain of the day — 14 yards — just before the two-minute warning to allow Seattle to run out the clock and clinch the victory. Grade: B-

PASS DEFENSE: Russell Wilson’s 115.7 quarterback rating featured 25 completions in 33 attempts for 320 yards and one touchdown. But the biggest damage inflicted by Wilson came on the clinching last drive to kill the clock; Wilson was four of four for 54 yards and three first downs. Grade: C-

SPECIAL TEAMS: Kickers Brad Nortman and Graham Gano were spectacular, nailing every opportunity they had. Nortman averaged 47.8 yards on five punts, with two pinning Seattle inside the 20. And Gano had converted his lone kick (an extra point) and hammered two touchbacks. But two of the team’s four penalties came on punt coverage by second-year running back Armond Smith — both for running out of bounds — and punt return blocker Josh Thomas inadvertently hit the football for a fumble that cost Carolina great field position on a Seattle punt to open the second half. Grade: D

COACHING: With so much on the line, the Panthers were conservative perhaps to a fault. With Carolina gashing Seattle for much of its running room up the middle, most fans wanted Ron Rivera to go for a first down on a third-and-inches play at the Panthers 34 in the third quarter. Rivera said he considered it, but Williams being stopped short on third-and-one the previous play probably kept him from being more aggressive. Certainly, there’s no shame in losing to the team many favor to win the NFC, but it was unquestionably a missed opportunity. Grade: C-